From the celebrity raunch of Dita von Teese and Christina Aguilera through to the sudden explosion in themed club nights such as alleged royal favourite The Box, burlesque has become mainstream again. Unlike other forms of striptease, however, it is one which is championed as much by radical academic feminists as the adult entertainment industry. It is even claimed as a form of female empowerment, and is popular with (straight) women perhaps more than men. Some suggest it achieves the level of artform with its knowingly camp commentaries on the symbolism of sex and erotica, and draws on a rich tradition of nineteenth satirical music hall theatre and Weimar-style decadence.

Yet with its growing appeal, and corresponding commercial impact, others see the growing number of ‘burlesque’ nights at old-fashioned strip joints as confirmation that it really is just a form of ‘posh stripping.’ With increasing alarm around a highly sexualised society motivating a new generation of feminist activists to challenge the so-called ‘raunch culture’, including calls for ban on everything from Page 3 to padded bras for children, burlesque is critiqued as little more than exploitation plus nipple tassels.

What is driving the seemingly meteoric rise of burlesque? Is it a progressive attempt to reclaim female glamour and sexuality from prying male eyes, or simply a handy way for promoters to avoid the opprobrium and licensing difficulties in running something more nakedly honest? Does the embracing of a genre associated with fin de siècle decadence and kitsch irony say much about contemporary attitudes to morality, or is it simply the latest fad? Should it even matter how and why 21st century women choose to strip in public and why others enjoy watching them?